Factors associated with utilization of mobile health clinic hepatitis C virus services among medically underserved communities in South Carolina

Autor: Kerry A. Howard, Fatih Gezer, Caitlin A. Moore, Brian Witrick, Abass Babatunde, Prerana Roth, Ashley Coleman, Kristie Boswell, Ronald W. Gimbel, Alain H. Litwin, Lior Rennert
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: BMC Global and Public Health, Vol 2, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2731-913X
DOI: 10.1186/s44263-024-00114-w
Popis: Abstract Background Mobile health clinics (MHCs) are effective mechanisms for hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening and treatment in underserved populations. However, effective strategies for identifying and prioritizing high-risk communities are lacking. This study examined individual-level and community-level predictors of MHC utilization, HCV positivity rates, and HCV treatment initiation to assess the utility of these programs and improve MHC allocation. Method Clemson Rural Health (CRH), a health service delivery organization focused on rural and underserved communities, mobilizes MHCs for HCV screening and treatment initiation in the Upstate and Midlands regions of South Carolina. Participants for this study were individuals screened at CRH MHC sites between May 2021 and January 2024. Generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to examine the association between community-level predictors and number of individuals screened and community- and individual-level predictors and infection status and treatment initiation. Results The community-level analysis showed that individuals from census tracts with higher rates of poverty (relative risk; RR = 1.32, p = .012), higher rates of uninsurance (RR = 1.31, p = .003), and less rural areas (RR = 0.74, p = .029) were more likely to utilize the MHC for HCV screening. The individual-level analysis showed that an individual’s age of 30–44 (RR = 2.28, p = .020), non-White race (RR = 0.32, p
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